Closing speeches have begun in the Aqeel Khan murder trial after the teenager accused of the murder declined to take the witness stand.

Aqeel died on August 22 after violence erupted between a number of young men on the Holywell Housing Estate in West Watford.

The youth on trial at Luton Crown Court is alleged to have stabbed 18-year-old Aqeel between his shoulder blades causing damage to a major artery from which he bled to death.

The accused was 16 at the time and an order is in place which forbids his name being published. He pleads not guilty to murder.

The court was told how violence erupted on the estate last year.

It involved the 16-year-old and young men, who all knew each other to a "greater or lesser extent", said William Mousley QC.

He said the death arose out of "bad feeling" between the teen from Watford and two of the young men, which did not include Mr Khan.

The jury have been told how, that afternoon, there was a brief altercation between the defendant and a number of young men outside a parade of shops in Tolpits Lane.

The accused had swung a sports bag at the group and hurled a stone at one of them.

Aqeel had arrived on the scene as violence broke out and the jury have even been told that he may have been struck by the sports bag.

Moments later the accused is alleged to have run from the parade of shops into Croxley View.

He was being chased by some of the youths he had clashed with, including Aqeel, who was nearest to him.

It is alleged he then stopped and turned to face Aqeel both the pair threw punches at each other but neither teenager made contact.

However, moments later, Aqeel dropped to the ground.

He was able to briefly get to his feet, but collapsed again.

The jury heard Aqeel was rushed to Watford General Hospital, where paramedics were unable to restart his heart.

Mr Mousley said the blade of the knife used to stab Aqeel was estimated to have been at least three and a half inches in length.

The blade had passed between his ribs, penetrated his left lung, causing serious damage to his pulmonary artery.

Internal bleeding had resulted in the left lung collapsing, the precaution told the court.

It's alleged that after the stabbing, the accused ran off to his home a few minutes away.

After his arrest, the accused provided police with a prepared statement in which he said he was not responsible for Aqeel's death and he had not been present when he was stabbed.

In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Mousley said it was not the prosecution's case that when the accused made his way to the shops that day he intended to stab someone.

But he said he had been carrying a weapon and added: “It's a classic case of what happens when someone is carrying a knife in a pocket and takes it out and uses it.”

He said whereas moments before it had been a case of young men "puffing their chests out" the defendant’s alleged action of taking the knife out of his pocket had escalated the incident to "another level."

Mr Mousley said that when the violence broke out at the shops that day, Mr Khan had tried to act as a "peacemaker."

He finished by saying: “We say the only verdict open to you is one of guilty of murder.”

Max Hill QC, who defends the 17 year old, said the jury had heard no evidence that his client had been "out to get Aqeel Khan" that day.

Mr Hill reminded the jury that they had heard evidence during the week-long trial that in fact Aqeel Khan and the accused were on good terms and, just days before, the deceased had been seen giving the younger boy advice and telling him to avoid getting into trouble.

Mr Hill said: “We have heard nothing to suggest that the accused had any problems with Aqeel Khan, so why should he stab him? It doesn't make sense."

The boy had been "running for his life" with his head down heading for safety and wouldn't have stopped to face those chasing him and "try his luck”, the defence concluded.

The case continues.